The House passed a sweeping water infrastructure bill Monday that could help curb flooding, slow coastal erosion and restore struggling ecosystems, in a rare show of bipartisanship as election season heats up.
Lawmakers approved the “Water Resources Development Act of 2024,” which would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with 12 new water infrastructure projects and study 159 more potential projects. The vote was 359-13.
The biennial legislation directs the Army Corps’ work on flood control, navigation and ecosystem restoration and has historically been popular among Republicans and Democrats.
It comes as water infrastructure across the U.S. — from dams to levees to sewage treatment plants — is struggling to hold up amid more frequent and intense storms and deferred maintenance.
